Guangzhou – I’ll be honest, in planning my Chinese trip, this city was only on the plan because it serves as a convenient transit hub to Zhangjiajie. Guangzhou is a big, modern city that is trying really hard to compete with the best of them. Here I am typing this and I’m certainly glad I spent a couple days there, if for anything, the architecture is amazing. Here are some pics from the few days spent here.
Backpacking
24 hours in Yangshuo
I try to condense my posts down to the Chinese province level as I don’t want to bore you with details of every place I see but Yangshuo needs some attention. The idea to write this came to me whilst holding on for dear life to my 60 year old motorbike driver whilst he was navigating the worst potholes in history. Did I mention on a motorbike? No helmet (and my brain is kind of a sensitive issue). At the time, I thought I’d lose a limb, but now that I’m safe and sound on a bus, we can joke about it a little!
The Dinks In Transit guide to Hong Kong
Hong Kong. Wow. You’re one of those cities we all hear grand stories about. The sceptic in me kept on warning me not to built up unrealistic expectations that won’t be met when I arrive. Unrealistic expectations… not in Hong Kong. This city is so easy to love! From the moment you see the harbour and the skyscrapers, I just wanted more and more of the place!
How to survive a Chinese Train station
If you want to prepare for Boxing Day sales and the resultant stampedes, or if you’re a doomsday prepper wanting to equip yourselves with the necessary skills to survive an apocalypse and the associated scrummage for the last remaining food on earth – drop what you’re doing and catch a train in China!
The not so glamorous side to backpacking
Let me start off by saying backpacking isn’t for ants. Yes, it’s an amazing opportunity to see the world and conserve limited cash and all that. But you know that already. This post is about what they don’t tell you about!
Sichuan Province in pictures
The Sichuan Province in China is where China starts getting green and adventurey. There are a great deal of national parks around the capital, Chengdu. I spent 6 days in Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou. Here are some pictures from my trip. If you’re planning a trip to China, I’d certainly recommend the Sichuan Province – amazing food, amazing sites and amazing activities.
Xi’an in pictures
I spent a few days in Xi’an, the capital of the Shaanxi Province of China – a place best known for the Terracotta Army. There’s a lot more to the city, though and worth a stop. Here are some photos of my stay there.
The first 6 weeks
Typing the title to this blog post makes me think of that movie of a zombie apocalypse. 28 Days Later or something? Anyway, just to assure you, I haven’t been bitten by the undead. My mind is a 6 ring circus, and I can’t blame that on the walking dead!
The Trans Siberian – route marker 5,642km
Greetings from Ulan-Ude! Same ring as London? New York maybe? No, you’re wrong. More like Poffadder. The towns claim to fame is that it has a gigantic statue on Vladimir Lenin’s head. Ulan Ude is a shower stop for me – I can’t stomach the idea of a 35 hour trip to Mongolia so decided to have a pitstop in this metropolis.
Dinks in Transit 